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Quik-Snack: Street to Table

Here’s a quick photo walk from the apartment to Quick-Snack inside the narrow Carvajal St. within the Philippines’ center of commerce — the Manila Chinatown — otherwise known as Binondo.

[Pickled loquats from China]

Find Quik-Snack inside this bustling alleyway. True to its name, the not so secret hole-in-the-wall can cook up a spread at the snap of a finger. From the greasy kitchenette to boardrooms, to office tables, to classroom chairs, to escoltas, to hospital rooms, to ballrooms (a reliable someone told me they catered a 1000 Php/head ball dinner with the who’s who in the guest list) — nothing fairytalish really, it’s a way of life in this Tsinoy district.

In nothing flat, I got hot off the pan diok pit he (stuffed shrimps or camaron relleno) and cua chai. I ate two of the pretty large diok pit he in one sitting. You won’t be disappointed with the chunky shrimp meat inside it. I have a ritual with fried food, I mix Jufran banana ketchup with Mother’s Best chili sauce, better than anything!

Similar to empanadas or pies, cua chai are stuffed with pork and vegetables. The inside of the pastry is a little slimy, yet so yummy! One piece can send you to limbo. Sheesh, I know it’s unhealthy, but best followed with a can of Pepsi. Food-crazy? You’ve got to check out this place.